New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced the release of proposed changes to coolwater sportfish regulations that will help protect fish while spawning, increase the reproductive capacity of walleye in Lake Ontario’s eastern basin, and eliminate unnecessary special regulations.
“The proposed regulation changes for walleye, pike, pickerel, and tiger musky reflect DEC’s commitment to adaptively manage New York’s fisheries resources and to simplify regulations wherever possible,” said Commissioner Lefton. “We encourage the public to review the proposal and provide feedback.”
Highlights of the proposed regulations include:
- Changing the closing date for walleye, northern pike, chain pickerel, and tiger musky from March 15 to March 1 for both statewide and special regulations;
- Changing the start date of fishing-prohibited regulations to protect spawning walleye on sections of select streams from March 16 to March 2;
- Eliminating unnecessary special harvest regulations for walleye in 33 waters; and
- Changing the size limit and daily creel limit for walleye in Jefferson County waters of Lake Ontario to two fish per day with no more than one longer than 24 inches.
The proposed regulations are responsive to fisheries managers’ and anglers’ concerns that the current fishing season closing date may not adequately protect spawning walleye and northern pike into the future, as a warming climate changes water temperatures and shifts spawning times. Establishing an earlier fishing season closure will help ensure that spawning aggregations of these species are protected.
There are also several walleye waters currently managed under special harvest regulation (18-inch minimum size limit, three-per-day possession limit) to help establish, restore, or improve walleye fisheries. A subset of those waters does not meet that objective and the draft regulations propose to convert back to statewide regulations and a 15-inch minimum size, five-per-day possession limit.
In addition, the walleye fishery in Lake Ontario’s eastern basin (Jefferson County) has declined, and DEC is proposing a more protective harvest regulation intended to increase spawning stock biomass and increase the capacity for natural reproduction.
The full text and a summary of the proposed regulatory changes are available on DEC’s website.
DEC is interested in anglers’ viewpoints and encourages public feedback on these proposals. Comments will be accepted through April 13, 2026, and should be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line “Coolwater Sportfish Regulations,” or sent by standard mail to:
Inland Fisheries Section
NYSDEC
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-4753
